Step orientation as a key parameter in the vicinal Pt(111) surfaces reconstruction process under C2H4 and CO atmosphere

Reversible cluster formation can be observed with good reproducibility. In this study, we can also notice the importance of the initial structure and the sequence of adsorption: - ethylene is more likely to induce step break-up on Pt(332) than on Pt(557)- after a subsequent dosing of CO to the system, no drastic change can be detected- When ethylene is added to the system, CO-induced clusters are stable on Pt(557), but on Pt(332) the clusters are replaced by a new kind of structure. HP-STM proved to be an efficient technique to study the structural changes of a catalyst under realistic conditions (pressure and temperature).